The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1887-07-13
NO. TO
WAKING THE VETERANS.

Since tile time General Butler suggest
cd the emancipation Of the slaves, as he
did in his famous order declaring slaves
'contraband of war, he has periodically
come forward and pricked various
pseudo-historic bubbles in his blunt vet
incisive way. His last appearance was
In the New York Sun, in reply TO n
highly-seasoned statement which appear
ed IN the Washington Post, charging
General Butler with forgetting to return
bell sent north while the latter was IN
command of the city of New Orleans.
The bell IN question is said to be owned
Dy the Baptist church of Wayne, afar
III the State of Maine. The General re-
plies that when New Orleans was cap
tured in 1862 he found large number
OF church and plantation bells in one Of
the squares. They had been contribut-
ed by the churches and planters, in some
instances, perhaps, as the traveller con-
tributes his purse on the highway, for
the manufacture of cannon for the use of
the confederacy. This and other prop
erty was confscated as contraband OF
war, and used to ballast transports re-
turning north after having discharged
cargo. The property was consigned to
the United States Qaartermaster at Bos-
ton. The bells were probably sold as
old material, and one Of them has been
located in the belfry Of the Baptist meet
ing house at Wayne, in the State of
Maine.
General Butler, like number of other
Union commanders, captured good
deal of property of various kinds and
condemned it as contraband of war. It
seems that every commander who can
tured or destroyed anything belonging
to the rebels is to be held personally re.
sponsible for the capture as, q robber.
These accusations are not to be depre.
Gated, because they arouse the veterans
and sometimes cause them to strike
back, and in this way q good deal OF his
tory is coming to light. A good MANY
persons have been blowing historical
war bubbles for years, at once illustrat.
ing now the world is given to lying and
the Ignorance OF the bubble blowers.
The inference intended to be drawn by
the gentleman who called out this reply
OF General Butler was that the latter
robbed some church of New Orleans of
its bell and disposed Of it in the north.
1t is limited that Butler cannot even
"assist in the cause of religion except in
manner peculiarly his own. 1t seems
that one bell escaped the confiscation--
that belonging to ST. Patricls's Cathe.
dral, which the clergyman in charge de-
clared had not been delivered. This
bell was rehung aud left undisturbed.
The others had been turned over to the
confederacy to be cast into cannon with
winch to make war upon the Union and
the Constitution.
But perhaps some of these moultino
historians think war is game in which
the party that inaugurates It and is beaten
has valid claim upon the victor for all
the property contiscated and DESTROYED.
That seems to be the ruling idea in some
quarters. Not that the full grown men
OF any part of this country entertain
such grotesque notion of war, for they
do not. There has been, nevertheless.
great deal too much 'sharkinR back,
upon the dreadful injuries inflicted upon
the south by northern commanders. It
Is ~ this as il is in all such cases Of
whining, an attempt to excite sympathy.
advertise ihelE Willingness skeE n
ever fortune way involves. lK2zsgy w.s1 OF
courage and self respect do alf6f whine
while enduring the consequences. IL
can be said by General Butler that he
made war In warlike fashion, When he
struck he intended to hurt, and that he
did hurt is pretty evident from the aches
and pains which quarter of century
has not assuaged. And he has forgotten
how to strike Phila. North American.